Easily Bava’s most intensely violent film, its emphasis on graphically bloody murder set pieces was hugely influential on the slasher and splatter films that would follow a decade later

The wheelchair bound Countess Federica (Isa Miranda) sits alone in her bayside mansion one night when she is suddenly attacked and strangled to death by her husband, Filippo Donati (Giovanni Nuvoletti)

The genesis of Twitch of the Death Nerve was a simple story idea concocted by Bava and actress Laura Betti as a way to allow them to work together again, as the two had gotten along so well on Bava’s Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1969)

As the latest offering from a noted genre specialist, Twitch of the Death Nerve was greeted with disappointment and disgust by several critics, especially by those who were fans of the director’s earlier, more restrained films

Several critics have noted that the film is probably the most influential of Bava’s career, as it had a huge and profound impact on the slasher film genre

According to Tim Lucas, Bava’s film is "probably known by more titles than any other movie ever released." Its best-known title is Twitch of the Death Nerve, but it has been shown theatrically and appeared on home video under a bewildering variety